SPL hold crunch talks with Sky over possible eight-year TV deal to show live Scottish football

CELTIC’S Peter Lawwell and SPL supremo Neil Doncaster were in London yesterday trying to persuade Sky to show Scottish football for EIGHT years.

CELTIC’S Peter Lawwell and SPL supremo Neil Doncaster were in London yesterday trying to persuade Sky to show Scottish football for EIGHT years.

The satellite TV giants had agreed to a five-year deal worth £80million but that was conditional on Old Firm matches being central to the package.

That won’t happen now Rangers are bound for the Third Division and SPL clubs are frantically trying to come up with other packages that would at least provide some kind of stability, albeit with much reduced payments over a longer time frame.

However, even after cutting back on their fees, broadcasters will not commit to covering matches until 2020 unless SPL bosses deliver rights to a number of Rangers’ games in the SFL.

That’s why the SPL themselves were one of the bidders who met yesterday’s deadline for offers to screen SFL games.

Doncaster was in London at the end of last week along with Parkhead chief executive Lawwell and they travelled south again yesterday to continue the talks with Sky.

The broadcasters, including ESPN and other corporate partners, have remained tight lipped since Rangers were barred from the SPL but they are looking to scale down their payments.

All bids for SFL matches had to be in by midday and last night, along with their agents, IMG, league chiefs were assessing the merits of each offer.

There is a threat that the £1.9m annual fee paid to the SFL by the SPL – as part of the settlement agreed when the top clubs broke away in 1998 – won’t be handed over unless the rights to Rangers’ games are given in return.

However, the SFL will not be bullied, believing they can do their own deals with Sky and others. They will also consider legal action to prevent the SPL from reneging on their pact from 1998.

However, there is a clause in this deal which allows for payment to be scaled down if there is a narrowing of the gap in the finances between the SPL and SFL. But it is unlikely Sky, or anyone else, would be willing to pay the SFL much more than £30,000 a game featuring Rangers.

The SFL are expected to announce today they are prepared to bend the rules over any new TV deal they negotiate so that Charles Green’s new-look Rangers will benefit.

Newco Rangers have been granted only associate membership of the SFL. As a result, under Rule 19 of the SFL’s constitution, they aren’t entitled to a share of the sale of those rights – even though it’s their involvement which has produced a bidding war.

The rule states: “An Associate Member shall have no financial interest in the assets of the League and shall not be accorded any voting rights.”

However, SFL chief executive David Longmuir hinted last night a compromise may be reached which will allow the club to gain a much-needed cash injection from the transaction.

He said: “We will work in a collaborative fashion to operate in the best interests of the League.”

Meanwhile, the continued delays over Rangers securing SFA membership have forced Fife-based Junior side Kelty Hearts to postpone a testimonial match against the Ibrox side which was due to take place tonight.

Ally McCoist’s men have only played games behind closed doors at their Murray Park training base so far this summer as they are not licensed to play official fixtures.